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'Blade Runner' sequel slated for January 2018

Canadian actor Ryan Gosling poses for a portrait in New York on March 10, 2013. (Victoria Will / Invision / AP)

The Associated Press
Published Thursday, February 18, 2016 5:10PM EST

NEW YORK -- The long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" now has a release date. Alcon Entertainment announced Thursday that it will be land in theatres on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January 2018.

"Sicario" director Denis Villeneuve is taking over for Scott in the sequel to his 1982 science-fiction classic. It will star Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, reprising his role as Rick Deckard.

Alcon, which is producing the film, said it takes place several decades after the conclusion to the original "Blade Runner." Roger Deakins, who has previously worked with Villeneuve on "Prisoners" and "Sicario," will serve as cinematographer.